Pennsylvania:
Ben Franklin represented Pennsylvania. Located in the middle of the country, it was one of the larger and more highly populated states in America. It had a diverse population and a prospering economy based on agriculture, manufacturing, and commerce. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was a major cultural and political center.
Occupation and Background:
Born in Boston on January 17, 1706, Franklin left his job as an apprentice printer for a newspaper in 1723 and ended up in Philadelphia. Throughout his life, he found many jobs in printing and writing for newspapers both in America and overseas. He was also a scientist and inventor. He became more interested in politics in the 1750s. He was a member of the Second Continental Congress and was an ambassador in France during the American Revolution.
Constitutional Convention:
Ben Franklin was a member of the Constitutional Convention. However, by this point he was fairly old and weak, so he was not as involved with political debates as the other younger members. He was still very important in providing a much-needed confidence to the Convention and also with preventing fights. He believed in the importance of compromise. He signed the Constitution even though he admitted that he did not entirely agree with it, and he urged others to do the same.
State Ratifying Convention:
Benjamin Franklin was not a part of the Pennsylvania State Ratifying Convention, but if he was he would have likely supported the Constitution based on his opinions in the Constitutional Convention.
Arguments:
Franklin thought that one of the most important things for the country was a general government. He did not think that there was a perfect way to make the Constitution, so it was as close to perfect as it could be. He kept quiet about many of his opinions on the Constitution, which was in his mind, "for the public good." As a federalist, he supported a stronger federal government and sided with other federalists such as George Washington, John Jay, James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and more. Many antifederalists opposed his views, such as “Z,” Mercy Otis Warren, and Patrick Henry. He was criticized for accepting the Constitution even though he did not agree with everything in it.
Federalist
Pennsylvania:
Ben Franklin represented Pennsylvania. Located in the middle of the country, it was one of the larger and more highly populated states in America. It had a diverse population and a prospering economy based on agriculture, manufacturing, and commerce. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was a major cultural and political center.
Occupation and Background:
Born in Boston on January 17, 1706, Franklin left his job as an apprentice printer for a newspaper in 1723 and ended up in Philadelphia. Throughout his life, he found many jobs in printing and writing for newspapers both in America and overseas. He was also a scientist and inventor. He became more interested in politics in the 1750s. He was a member of the Second Continental Congress and was an ambassador in France during the American Revolution.
Constitutional Convention:
Ben Franklin was a member of the Constitutional Convention. However, by this point he was fairly old and weak, so he was not as involved with political debates as the other younger members. He was still very important in providing a much-needed confidence to the Convention and also with preventing fights. He believed in the importance of compromise. He signed the Constitution even though he admitted that he did not entirely agree with it, and he urged others to do the same.
State Ratifying Convention:
Benjamin Franklin was not a part of the Pennsylvania State Ratifying Convention, but if he was he would have likely supported the Constitution based on his opinions in the Constitutional Convention.
Arguments:
Franklin thought that one of the most important things for the country was a general government. He did not think that there was a perfect way to make the Constitution, so it was as close to perfect as it could be. He kept quiet about many of his opinions on the Constitution, which was in his mind, "for the public good." As a federalist, he supported a stronger federal government and sided with other federalists such as George Washington, John Jay, James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and more. Many antifederalists opposed his views, such as “Z,” Mercy Otis Warren, and Patrick Henry. He was criticized for accepting the Constitution even though he did not agree with everything in it.
Bibliography:
**Franklin, Benjamin. "Address to the Constitutional Convention." 17 Sept. 1787. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Sept. 2012. <http://ed.edim.co/548/debate_character_positions4.pdf?Expires=1347591924&Signature=C~htuuWF9WMBT9L92XvKtwJ9GRD3RL-qO54YOykUKz2-9553gjmlg5kP8zPDsVA9uadZm7x0WvL8YmrOqonTYtaVTuz5rRSTzjS8UDbhwFdm7lPxQDKVPJtrTfeR-mzvIofXrgh6XzSGBH-Ac9WgZ4S9JqGNHdScK1E0LaOhovk_&Key-Pair-Id=APKAI3N2VAFIZ34RBHFA>.
"Pennsylvania History." The Pennsylvania General Assembly. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Sept. 2012. <http://www.legis.state.pa.us/wu01/vc/visitor_info/pa_history/whole_pa_history.htm>.
"Quick Biography of Benjamin Franklin." ushistory.org. Independence Hall Association, n.d. Web. 13 Sept. 2012. <http://www.ushistory.org/franklin/info/index.htm>.